Superbike transfer market: another rider arriving from MotoGP; the signing is close

The German manufacturer may have finalized its line-up for the 2027 SBK season: here are the latest market rumors.

While the MotoGP grid is pretty much set for next year, there are still several seats to fill in the Superbike World Championship. There’s certainly great anticipation to see who will replace Nicolò Bulega in the Aruba Ducati team, where Iker Lecuona has already been officially confirmed. But fans are also very interested in the choices of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad team.

At the end of June, the options for renewing Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci through 2027 expired. BMW specified that not exercising those options didn’t automatically mean they wanted to part ways with the two riders. They wanted to wait for the outcome of the Donington Park round (a disaster for the German brand) and carefully assess the situation, also considering different options.

According to the latest reports, Oliveira should continue riding an M 1000 RR. The colleagues at Speedweek explained that the Portuguese rider is expected to sign a two-year contract with an option for a further year. The 31-year-old from Almada was the only one to bring BMW to the podium in the 2026 Superbike season: he did so in all three races at Portimão and in Race 1 at Balaton Park, before getting injured. Oliveira has certainly shown better potential than Petrucci, although between tests ruined by bad weather and physical issues, both did not have the best possible adaptation process to the M 1000 RR.

If Oliveira is said to be close to signing, Petrucci appears to be out of the plans of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team. After rumors concerning Manu Gonzalez, the Moto2 World Championship leader who seriously risks not finding a spot in MotoGP, it seems the choice has fallen on Brad Binder.

Speedweek writes that it will be the South African rider (31 in August), decidedly more experienced than Gonzalez, who will partner Oliveira in the garage. After not being retained in MotoGP by KTM, Binder is looking for a seat for 2027. Signing with BMW is an excellent opportunity for his career. Looking at his riding style, characterized by fairly aggressive braking, he could be a good match for the M 1000 RR. As happened with Oliveira, the German manufacturer is ready to pull another rider from MotoGP.

With Binder expected to join the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, it remains to be seen what will happen with Petrux. It’s logical to think of a possible return to the Barni Spark Racing Team, for which he raced from 2023 to 2025, before wanting to try an experience with a factory team.

The rider from Terni has maintained an excellent relationship with team principal Marco Barnabò, who has already renewed Yari Montella’s contract and will soon also sit down with Alvaro Bautista to understand whether there are conditions to continue together in 2027 as well. If they part ways with the two-time Superbike world champion, Petrucci could become the main candidate to step onto the other Ducati Panigale V4 R of the Barni Spark team.

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